A defense mechanism that allows people who aren't comfortable being openly aggressive get what they want under the guise of still trying to please others. They want their way, but they also want everyone to still like them.

Jane: It's time to go, we really should get going now.

Passive Aggressive Ann: Oh...okay. I just...well okay, I GUESS we can leave now.

Jane: Ann, do you want to stay? Is that what you're trying to get at?

Passive Aggressive Ann: Huh? Oh no, we can leave if YOU want. I just didn't get to do everything I wanted to do yet, but no no, we can go I guess.

Jane: God dammit Ann! Fine, we'll stay, are you happy?

Passive Aggressive Ann: Oh okay! Yeah! That sounds great too!
(Ann got her way without having to openly ask for it)

passive aggressive
A defense mechanism that allows people who aren't comfortable being openly aggressive get what they want under the guise of still trying to please others. They want their way, but they also want everyone to still like them.

Jane: It's time to go, we really should get going now.

Passive Aggressive Ann: Oh...okay. I just...well okay, I GUESS we can leave now.

Jane: Ann, do you want to stay? Is that what you're trying to get at?

Passive Aggressive Ann: Huh? Oh no, we can leave if YOU want. I just didn't get to do everything I wanted to do yet, but no no, we can go I guess.

Jane: God dammit Ann! Fine, we'll stay, are you happy?

Passive Aggressive Ann: Oh okay! Yeah! That sounds great too!
(Ann got her way without having to openly ask for it)

Formerly associated with a particular psychological disorder stemming from years of percieved underappreciation and bitterness. A character flaw brought on by a person's inability to deal with their own bitterness, anger, or resentment in an assertive manner, thus, becoming a more passive form of hostility. See: petty, little bitch, worthless turd

This entry in urbandictionary is passive-aggressive because it was brought on by a coworker's passive-aggressive action against myself, and thus, is my form of counter attack. It is unlikely that the passive-aggressive asshat will see this, rendering such an action unassertive on my part, but it is highly probable that this will be seen by some more trustworthy coworkers and they will immediately empathize and agree that my definition (including the synonyms: little bitch and worthless turd) fully apply.

Important Note: This is only considered spiteful, not passive-aggressive, unless the bowl is accompanied by a sign which reads, "Please take one"

I'm not going to place an example, but I am going to put out an empty bowl of candy with a sign that says, "Please take one." Why? Well, for one thing, it's pretty self-explanatory. But more importatnly, I'm passive-aggressive.

a phrase that originally described indirect acts of aggression that either could not be traced to the actor or that could be ascribed to a benign, non-spiteful motivation. Once the phrase entered the popular lexicon, it has come to describe any action or inaction that the speaker dislikes but which the speaker cannot explain why the action is unjust or otherwise wrong.

The following are examples of passive aggressive behavior.
1. My lab mate did not like my not obeying his every wish, so he got back at me by sabotaging my experiments.

2. She was angry at me for declining her date invitation so, at the party, she bumped my glass spilling wine on my shirt and said that it was an accident.

The following is an example of how "passive aggressive" has come to be used in the popular lexicon.

Person 1: "OMG, he like totally refuses to put the toilet seat down after he uses it, and then he gives me dirty looks when I tell him he needs to do that."

Person 2: "Is it any more effort for you to put the toilet seat down than it is for him to put the toilet seat up to avoid peeing all over it?"